Chapter 4

When Mordecai perceived¹ all that was done,⁸ Mordecai rent⁴ his clothes, and put on⁴ sackcloth with ashes, and went out⁴ into the midst of the city, and cried⁴ with a loud and a bitter cry;

And came⁴ even before the king's gate: for none [might] enter² into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

And in every province, ⁴⁰⁸² whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came,⁵⁶ [there was] great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay⁹³ in sackcloth and ashes.

So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came⁴ and told⁵⁵ [it] her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved;¹¹⁸ and she sent⁴ raiment to clothe⁵³ Mordecai, and to take away⁵³ his sackcloth from him: but he received¹⁴ [it] not.

Then called⁴ Esther for Hatach, [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed⁵² to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment¹⁷ to Mordecai, to know² what it [was], and why it [was].

So Hatach went forth⁴ to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which [was] before the king's gate.

And Mordecai told⁵⁵ him of all that had happened¹ unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised¹ to pay² to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy¹⁵ them.

Also he gave¹ him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given⁸ at Shushan to destroy⁵³ them, to shew⁵³ [it] unto Esther, and to declare⁵³ [it] unto her, and to charge¹⁵ her that she should go in² unto the king, to make supplication⁹⁹ unto him, and to make request¹⁵ before him for her people.

And Hatach came⁴ and told⁵⁵ Esther the words of Mordecai.

Again Esther spake⁴ unto Hatach, and gave him commandment¹⁷ unto Mordecai;

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know,⁶ that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come⁴ unto the king into the inner court, who is not called,¹¹ [there is] one law of his to put [him] to death,⁵³ except such to whom the king shall hold out⁵⁵ the golden sceptre, that he may live:¹ but I have not been called⁸ to come in² unto the king these thirty days.

And they told⁵⁵ to Mordecai Esther's words.

Then Mordecai commanded⁴ to answer⁵³ Esther, Think¹⁷ not with thyself that thou shalt escape⁹ in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

For if thou altogether⁵³ holdest thy peace⁵⁵ at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise⁴ to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed:⁴ and who knoweth⁶ whether thou art come⁵² to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

Then Esther bade⁴ [them] return⁵³ Mordecai [this answer],

Go,³ gather together³ all the Jews that are present¹² in Shushan, and fast³ ye for me, and neither eat⁴ nor drink⁴ three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast⁴ likewise; and so will I go in⁴ unto the king, which [is] not according to the law: and if I perish,¹ I perish.¹

So Mordecai went his way,⁴ and did⁴ according to all that Esther had commanded¹⁴ him.